Kirk Stewart is the founder and CEO of KTStewart.  Kirk has nearly 40 years of experience in both corporate and agency public relations having served as global chief communications officer at Nike, chairman and CEO of Manning, Selvage & Lee (now MSLGroup) and executive director at APCO Worldwide.

At APCO, Kirk played a leading role in serving the firm’s corporate clients and helping broaden and expand the firm’s corporate communications practice.  In addition, he served as a member of APCO’s global executive committee, a member of the firm’s International Advisory Council and managed the firm’s global client management organization.

Prior to joining APCO, he served as global vice president of corporate communications for Nike, Inc.  During his eight years with Nike, Kirk was responsible for corporate media relations, brand communication, crisis and issues management, internal communication, community affairs, sustainable development and stakeholder engagement.  He also co-led the global corporate responsibility team and helped Nike become recognized a leading corporate citizen. 

Previously, Kirk spent 16-years with the global public relations firm Manning, Selvage & Lee, the last four-and-a-half years as its chairman and chief executive officer.

Kirk was named an agency management all-star by INSIDE PR (now the Holmes Report), recognized as one of the most 15 most influential leaders in public relations by PRWeek and received the distinguished journalism alumni award from the University of Southern California’s school of journalism.

He is a member of the Arthur W. Page Society, the Public Relations Society of America and serves on the PRSA Foundation Board, the Conference Board’s Council on Corporate Communications Strategy, and is a trustee of the Institute for Public Relations.

Kirk received his BA degree in political science and his MA in public relations and journalism from the University of Southern California, where he was an instructor in the school of journalisms for six years.